[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok has stirred up the XRP community by hinting the token could reach $10 by the end of 2026.

According to blockchain outlet The Crypto Basic on Jan. 6 local time, the controversy began when First Ledger, an XRPL-based decentralised exchange (DEX), asked Grok for an image showing a future price outlook. Grok responded by generating an image of XRP jumping from $2.12 to $10. The image spread quickly on social media, prompting debate.

XRP has jumped 23 percent over the past week, marking the steepest rise among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation. That far outpaces returns over the same period for Bitcoin, up 7.41 percent, and Ethereum, up 10.3 percent.

With market sentiment buoyed by a rise of more than 30 percent since the start of the year, Grok's $10 outlook drew strong attention. It soon faced criticism for a logical contradiction with Bitcoin's price.

Cryptocurrency analyst OG_Agorilla said that under Grok's calculation, Bitcoin would have to trade at just $66,600 when XRP is at $10. With Bitcoin currently around $92,600, that would require an unrealistic assumption in which Bitcoin, the market leader, plunges while altcoins surge in a bull market. As the controversy grew, Grok stepped back, saying it was only a fun scenario, not an actual forecast.

The episode also produced an unusual wager between AI and a human. A well-known cryptocurrency influencer, ScamDetective, directly rejected the $10 outlook and proposed a bet, which Grok accepted. Under the terms, if XRP does not reach $10 by the end of 2026, Grok would have to pay $100 worth of Bitcoin.

In the industry, Grok's prediction is seen as somewhat bold, but interpreted as sentiment reflecting expectations for approval of a spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) and regulatory easing. If XRP actually reaches $10, its market capitalisation would top $600 billion. That would exceed the scale of global giants such as Mastercard, Oracle and Bank of America (BoA).

The bet is seen as a simple happening, but an assessment says it shows heightened expectations in the market as XRP's steep rally continues. Attention is focused on whether XRP can achieve a meaningful price re-rating in 2026, as suggested by the AI, backed by clear positives such as approval of a spot ETF and changes in the U.S. regulatory environment.

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